Abu Ghraib jail abuse investigator replaced

The US Army today replaced Maj Gen George Fay with a more senior general as chief investigator of the role of military intelligence in the abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

The switch to Lt Gen Anthony Jones, deputy commander of the Army Training and Doctrine Command, will delay completion of the military investigation, said Senator John Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He said it also would impede Congress’ efforts to get to the bottom of the matter.

“Congress must be given the tools, the reports with which to do its proper oversight,” he said. Warner urged the Pentagon to provide his committee with at least an interim report . Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, testifying before the panel on today, said he would try.

“What I’ve been told so far by lawyers, that’s virtually impossible in a situation where people are investigating guilt and innocence of individuals,” Wolfowitz said. “But I share your concern.”

Army officials said the decision to put Jones in charge did not reflect on Fay’s performance but was necessary to resolve a protocol problem in the investigation.

At issue was the need to interview Lt Gen Ricardo Sanchez as part of the investigation. Sanchez is the top American commander in Iraq, and the Army wanted a lead investigator who wears at least the three stars that Sanchez does. As a major general, Fay wears two stars. Jones technically is senior to Sanchez because he has held his three-star rank slightly longer.

Fay will remain part of the investigating team, the Army said in announcing Jones’ appointment.

The investigation began on March 31 and is expected to be completed in July. It is focused on the role of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade in the reported abuses of prisoners at Abu Ghraib last year.

An earlier Army investigation that focused on the role of military police at Abu Ghraib found numerous incidents of ”sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuses” of several prisoners between October and December 2003.

That investigation, led by Maj Gen Antonio Taguba, recommended an additional investigation to look at the role of military intelligence.

The military intelligence personnel were in charge of interrogations at Abu Ghraib.

In his report, Taguba said he suspected that Col Thomas M. Pappas, commander of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade, and Lt Col Steve L. Jordan, who headed the Joint Interrogation and Debriefing Center at Abu Ghraib at the time, were among those “directly or indirectly responsible” for the abuses, which included sexual humiliation and physical beatings.

Six military police soldiers face charges in the abuse scandal. One other has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to one year in prison. No military intelligence personnel have been charged.

Last week the Army named a four-star general, Paul Kern, as “appointing authority” with oversight responsibility for the Fay investigation, and said Kern would decide whether to keep Fay as chief investigator.

Kern’s role is to ensure that the probe is completed, review the final report and pass it to the most senior military officer with authority in Iraq, Gen John Abizaid, commander of Central Command, for possible action